Crime, education, unemployment, services – all have a direct bearing on urban life, and all are measurable in data, and trackable over time.

But what can be lumped into a category one might call “livability?” The factors that make a city appealing to ordinary residents, workers, families, young people and fun seekers aren’t so easy to quantify. As is typical in this city of extremes, residents enjoy rich bounties and suffer appalling deficits.